Eala's rise reminds Gauff of Filipino boxing icon Pacquiao

Alex Eala’s dramatic US Open defeat still left her with a powerful new admirer: two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff.

The 21-year-old Filipina lost a gruelling third-round match to American teenager Iva Jovic, 5-7, 6-3, 5-7, at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday. Yet Gauff said Eala had already made an extraordinary impact by emerging from the Philippines, a country with no history of producing elite tennis players.

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She’s the first Filipino player to break a lot of barriers, especially on the women’s side. And when you speak of athletes from the Philippines, she’s doing similar things to what Manny Pacquiao has done for her country.

Gauff compared Eala’s rise with the influence Manny Pacquiao has had in the Philippines. “She’s the first Filipino player to break a lot of barriers, especially on the women’s side. And when you speak of athletes from the Philippines, she’s doing similar things to what Manny Pacquiao has done for her country,” Gauff said.

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I’m lucky to be from the US, where we’ve had a lot of icons to look up to and people who have already broken down doors for me to be where I am.

The American, ranked fourth in the world, also pointed to the burden that comes with Eala’s success. Thousands of Filipino fans attend her matches around the world, and Gauff said the expectations placed on Eala may be greater than those faced by athletes in the United States, where earlier icons have already opened doors.

Gauff said she was also getting to know Eala away from the court. The two have played doubles together, and Gauff described Eala’s family and personality warmly after they had dinner in Toronto. “As far as our relationship, Alex and I are friends,” Gauff said. “She’s just such a cool, nice girl and someone I would like to get to know even more.”

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As far as our relationship, Alex and I are friends. Her family just reminds me so much of mine.